September 18 - IT'S A BIG PLANE!: Rationale for this site is
more clearly delineated in response to a request from friends
Their request in email titled: Utter Confusion
Jim....the more we read...(article
from Tamin Ansary on Afghanistan)...the more confused we become. Who will make
sense of all of this madness? Is there an answer somewhere so that the
world can live together? This is a recent message received from one of our
friends. What are your thoughts? Tom and Emily
My Response title: Its a BIG
PLANE!
Emily and Tom
Tamim Ansary is right about his
Afghanistan. We have links on our site to help give you the information
you need. Look at all of the Taliban and Afghanistan stuff I have posted. The
metaphor is correct: Afghanistan is a concentration Camp, The Taliban are the
Nazi's and Osama Bin Laden is Hitler who provides the Taliban with the
financial support to control the country. It is an oppressive, intolerant,
rigid fundamentalist marginal minority group cut off from mainstream Islam.
If Afghanistan does not hand Osama Bin Laden
and all of his hench men, we will need to do some initial bombing of oil
depots etc and then it will take a massive effort like a mine sweeping
operation to search all of Afghanistan which is the size of Texas.
By the way in WW II we never bombed any of
the Nazi Concentration camps so why should we do it today. Afghanistan towns
and cities are concentration camps. We need to save these people not kill
them. Once we finish sweeping through Afghanistan and liberate its people from
the horrific Taliban, who are a terrorist government, we can then move on. We
will need to proceed to do the same thing with the next suspect rogue nation
harboring terrorists and then the next country and then the next and next and
next. We already know that Saudi
Arabia, Sudan, Egypt, Yemen, Ethiopia, Somalia or Pakistan are identified
countries with cells of Osama Bin Laden's Terrorist organization. If
you look at the links I have posted on Terrorism you will see there are cells
and pockets of terrorist virtually all over the world.
If the President, Secretary of Defense and
Secretary of State really mean what they say, that they want to commit the USA
into a long long long long term war which will include not just bombing,
ground troops, but also intelligence, counter intelligence, political,
economic and diplomatic actions, it will be massive, expensive, and
exhausting. Loads of American lives may be lost in such an effort. I do not
believe at the current time that Americans are well enough informed to have the
heart and soul to commit to such an extensive effort. If we do not, the
terrorists will prevail and we will see more of their handiwork on American
soil and American property overseas.
The reason I believe that we need to inform
people about terrorists is so that they can understand with what we are dealing.
They look like CRAZY people who are actually fanatical and who really believe their reward is to
die for their cause. They are like the Nazi's and they will suppress,
manhandle, control, degrade, and kill their own people who do not observe
their rules, go along with their wishes, and who have minds of their own.
We are in for an interesting Debate here in
America. I really believe that we will need loads of education and loads of PR
to get the American people to WAKE UP to the reality of what has just happened
on September 11. Most Americans do not want to believe what they have seen. We
have been violated. We have lost our sense of security and "sense of
peace without foreboding." We have lost our ability to go to work in the
morning without worrying if we will be coming home at night.
I tell you like I did in my class tonight
that most Americans will not want to come out of their denial. So I want my
friends to get out of their denial. I want them to become as informed as I am
(and more) and I want them to be ready to take care of me when America loses it momentum
to root out and destroy all terrorists all over the world. I want my friends
to be able to explain to the world that Jim is not insane when he begins to
cry and scream for weeks on end, when America backs away from ridding the world
of the scourge of terrorists. I will not be crazy I will be sane. I will be
crying over the eventual death of the United States of America as anyone of us
has known it, which will eventually piece by piece be destroyed by
terrorists who have no intention of giving up. I will be crying because
America does not have the steeled will it has today to stick with it till the
job is completely done to the end. We Americans only want "quick
fixes" which do not cost too many lives, too much money, too much work
and effort. We have been really lax at cleaning up the messes in our lives
caused by terrorists already:
- We did not complete the job in the
Persian Gulf War.
- We did not complete the job when we fired
a few missiles on Osama Bin Laden's camp in the late 90's.
- We did not complete the job when the FBI
put a $5 million bounty on Osama Bin Laden's Head in 1999.
- We did not complete the job when the
World Trade Center was bombed the first time in 1993.
- We did not complete the job during the
1990's, when we allowed our greed and need for material wealth to blind us
from the harsh realities of our suffering sisters and brothers around the
world.
- We did not complete the job when we
preferred to have our media, news agencies, president, congressmen and
senators only tell us good stuff rather than the harsh truth of how unsafe our
world really is.
I tell you my dear friends I will be crying
and screaming the day American turns its back on this incredible task of
outing the terrorists. I will be crying and screaming because new more unimaginable
terror will land in this country after we stop. This a long-haul type of deal
with less flashy bombings needed but rather more exhaustive work, time, and
effort.
This is a very complicated enemy. As
Secretary Rumsfield said in his news briefing this morning: getting rid of
Osama Bin Laden will not solve the problem of terrorism, we will need to go
beyond him and his group if we are truly to rid the world of this scourge.
Well that is my take today on where we are
and where we could possibly go. This is a very compelling time. I believe
we all need to listen, read, listen, educate other, listen, watch for a
lessening and will to do what is right, listen, and Pray, Pray, Pray on our
knees for God's wisdom, God's direction, God's desires for us humans at this
time when most humans have not prayed enough. We all need to come
together in America around God. God is the same God for Christians, Jews, and
Muslims. God is our common ground and now we need to be standing on it as we
deal with this crazy time.
I do not know if I helped or just made the
confusion worse. I realize that this is longer than you expected but this is
BIG, BIG, BIG. Tonight a student in talking about his paper on perception said
that he kept saying over and over to himself: "It was a BIG PLANE that
hit the World Trade Towers." For him to really grasp the reality he
needed to reaffirm the reality that that plane was BIG and that this BIG PLANE did
what it did. We need to tell the American People that it was a BIG PLANE, it
is a BIG PLANE and that it will be a BIG PLANE. We need to get our senses
together and really have an open dialogue about the truth of what is really
going on rather than what we would like to be going on. Unfortunately we
cannot escape the reality of the perception: THIS IS A BIG PLANE.
Love and Best Wishes Jim
September 16 - Rationale becomes clears as
seen in an email to a friend
Marty, you might not have really understood why I put that site up this week.
You see I have known for a year we were colliding with Bin Laden and terrorists
especially the Taliban due to the research I had to do for the violence course I
taught at UT in September 1999. I was shocked to find out about the then and
ongoing extent of genocide, terrorism and the impact it could have on us.
After
visiting the Holocaust Museum, when we were in DC over Labor Day (Labor Day 2001 Visit to Washington, D.C.),
I told both Connie and Steven that I worried that the US was in the same state
of denial and isolationism as it had been at the rise of Hitler and his insane
"final solution." We three have been, since September 1999, keeping up with all of the news
about what I had found and continued to find since I could not ignore the
threats and danger. We had a somber and sad Saturday evening that weekend just
thinking about what could happen.
How do you think we felt when one week later when the USA was attacked on its
soil. I was devastated. I was shaken that it was so clear to an observer and yet the rest
of the country seemed to be asleep. I cannot believe how few Americans really
know what is going on. For that reason I started that site.
We need to have knowledge so we can gain our sense of control and direction
back after these events. I also had told Connie and Steven that weekend that I
believed that our country was too caught up in material goods, consumerism, and
making wealth. I said that was the reason for the media and government not
educating us as well about the threats. I think that we have an obligation to
correct our moral compass and turn to our almighty father and plead to him for forgiveness for ignoring HIM for too long. I realize these are not popular
feelings but, believe me I will continue to share them since God is the only
answer in the midst of such severe emotional distress.
Be sure to watch the site at www.coping.org
it is growing daily and I want so much to get all my friends and family behind
this thing since they need to inform themselves so as to be more focused and
centered as things transpire over the next few weeks. Well enough of my
sermonizing. Peace and love Jim
September 13 - Tribute Site is opened on
Coping.org
Introduction to Tribute to the Victims of
the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks when site was put on line September
13, 2001
“Come
to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew
11:28
We Americans have been horrified, shocked, and outraged over the heinous
terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. We all are seeking
ways to make sense of it, to cope with it, and to recapture some control in our
lives as a result of it. For this reason we have established this tribute page.
Over the next few days, weeks, months and possible years we will provide
information, tributes, memorials about the victims. We also will be providing
you with resources already on the internet which can help you make sense of
terrorists and how what has happened relates to a broader worldwide terrorism
epidemic. Unfortunately, as Americans we have not heard enough, been informed
enough, nor taken the time enough to become fully informed about this scourge on
the human race. To gain back our ability to understand and to give us a chance
to put this all into a realistic picture we dedicate this tribute site to all
victims of the September 11th day of infamy.
Please join us in prayer for all of the victims, their families and friends.
We know that God is Good and that He is always Good and that we must wait to see
what Good, God has in His mind for us all, who have psychologically and
physically survived this horrific American Tragedy.
Jim and Connie Messina
"If
you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the
truth and the truth will set you free."
John 8:31 & 32
Email this date announcing its existence:
Friends I have opened a new site on my website to honor the
victims of Tuesday tragedy at www.coping.org
I want to honor their memory and yet inform us all about what is behind these
terrorists and who our enemies are. I hope you will share it with your friends
and encourage them to send along other sites on the internet which have tributes
and memorials or share links pertinent to the terrorist links Thanks Jim
September 12
- The beginnings of this site
Message placed on Bulletin Boards for Dr. Messina's Courses at University
of
Tampa
| Links related to
Terrorist and Genocide issues identified in class today:
Click here for NYC
on September 11, 2001 a visual tribute to a city with courage
and resilience. In viewing these slides click on the square button on the
bottom right and then use your mouse to advance the pictures.
Click here for A
moment of silence
Terrorists:
Taliban:
Genocide:
|
September 11 - Two Responses which were
Major Motivators for this Site
Notice to family and friends our son Steven in Washington was safe
| Just to let you know: Just talked to Steve, the NIH
campus is on lockdown, no one is allowed on campus and he and his fellows
are safe. They are taking it seriously on his campus. The mood there as
you can guess is very solemn and on alert. Love Jim |
Response to Students at UT in response to asking how our son
in Washington was:
|
Thanks Stacy: Steve and his fellows
living in the cloister on the grounds of NIH are in lockdown as is all
of NIH. He, his fellows, and the hundreds of patients on the grounds are
safe. But DC is a sad and scary place to be right now.
We all need to pray for those
unfortunate families who have lost loved ones and pray for our country
that we can have the resilience to pull together and work to fight this horrible ignorance and cowardice which has robbed all of us or our
innocence and sense of "this would never happen here."
We will discuss this tragic time in
class for sure tomorrow. Dr. M
|
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Coping
with the 9.11.01 Aftermath
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Tools for Coping
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is a Public Service of James J. Messina, Ph.D. & Constance M. Messina, Ph.D.,
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